Chapter 8: Ambition's Resolve

"Master Lekain... General Rolan has fallen. The soldiers sent to conquer Delbray were completely routed, however, our Dragon fire support has, for the most part, made it safely to Telgam." A simple soldier bowed before the Confederate leader.

"Like I would care for the lives of a few strong sub-humans. That's Deghinsea's concern. Rolan, for his part, was an idiot. Nothing more, nothing less. Some say that General Tauroneo of Daein, whom Izuka should have gotten rid of, was able to lead a band of Daein troops to engage our men from behind and, thus, rout them. He helped Geoffrey and Ike crush a numerically superior army with a relatively small number of soldiers. Not bad." Lekain stroked his chin.

"My lord... By your leave..."

"Yes, go and call Minster Alviss here. I must speak to him in private." Lekain waved his hand and the soldier scampered off.

Lucia winced as Mist put rubbing alcohol on her neck.

The proud swordsmaster was ordered by Geoffrey to rest in the infirmity, and by her sick bed Soren and Rhys stood steadfast with mend staves.

"I'm fine, you three... Now, I must take care of busi..." Lucia snarled as she tried to get up, but Mist lightly pushed her back on the bed.

"I don't consider getting blasted by a dragon "fine," Lucia. Take it easy. Your brother, Oscar, Titania, and even Tauroneo have agreed to care for our soldiers and for the populace. Despite being a Daein commander General Tauroneo has shown great concern for our combined forces. I have no doubt that it's a move to bring sympathy to his cause, but why would we consider that a bad thing? He's an old ally and I'm sure he'll help complete your task well." Soren spoke and crossed his arms.

"I make one error and I become an invalid..." Lucia groaned.

"You're too diligent." Soren smiled.

Lucia glanced at Soren with a surprised look.

"What do you mean by 'too diligent?' We do have a lot of goals to accomplish, don't we? People like Geoffrey and Tauroneo are better off planning our battles. They shouldn't waste their time on domestic issues... That's why I'm here..." She snapped.

"Lucia, you have done many great things for this army... But you're wounded. If you try to overwork yourself, you'll only get hurt even more, and sooner or later you'll reach the point where you'll get injured and you won't be able to help our army at all. It's better for you to rest right now, and recover, and once you're better you can continue being the valuable member of this army that you've always been. But, for now, let the others fill your place for you." Rhys spoke quickly.

Lucia sighed. "I feel as though I'm being a burden... Maybe Shinon wasn't just being cruel..."

Soren gulped. He understood her sentiments perfectly. Being wounded only made Lucia unable to fulfill what was required of her, and because of that their forces would be so inefficient with several people trying to keep everything in order without Lucia at her post.

Their army's administration was a series of pillars, after all. When an army is small or when each comrade knows the other quite well, only a few key officers are required to keep it running smoothly. But, with a combined force of several people who, by all rights, barely know each other's strategies are marching together, administering said army requires many people, and because of their contributions to the army's stability, each one of these people is a pillar.

For his part, Soren was the central pillar of their tactical planning. He would help plan a strategy with the other "minds" of the army, and modify his tactics accordingly when the field conditions changed. Even Titania, with all her battle experience and success, would sometimes make critical errors when something started to go terribly wrong, but Soren was far more calm in that regard.

Lucia was an excellent domestics advisor. She knew how to keep morale and supplies high while ensuring that the local populace would support them. She was also an excellent strategist, which helped her fulfill many roles as another pillar of their army.

But, because she was this badly wounded, many people had to pool their combined talents together in order to match the role she fulfilled as a single person. Because of that, the army became less stable and weaker in that sense. That was why Lucia felt so ashamed. Her blunder at letting the dragon burn her made the entire army weaker, and with a weaker army there was a greater chance that a battle now would lead to the deaths of some of the people she cared about. Thus, one person's injury could lead to the death of several people, and Lucia couldn't forgive herself for letting that be a possibility.

Soren frowned. The two of them were so similar in that way. They were needed to keep their army efficient and to keep everyone alive, and with either of them wounded the chance of death was just so much greater.

Lekain stroked his chin as a much thinner, younger-looking man appeared before him. (1.)

"You wanted to see me?" Alviss raised an eyebrow, barely hiding his irritation.

"Of course." Lekain exaggerated a smile as he patted the younger man on the back. "As you know, the damnably incompetent Apostle has somehow escaped our army's grasp. She is somewhere near the border of Gallia and our beloved Confederacy, yet our scouts have been unable to spot her or her wretched Imperial Army or Holy Guard accompaniment. The Imperial Army has thus been able to evade the legions of our Confederacy thus far, and so I must ask you to lead a scouting party to hunt her down."

"Why must we waste more Begnion lives to hunt down that wretched excuse for an exiled ruler of our nation? We should focus on destroying our foes Crimea and Gallia first. It is very likely that Empress Sanaki will go to Gallia for refuge, and if she does so, then storming Capital Zarzi will flush her out. With that move, both tasks will be achieved at once. Do not repeat Sanaki's incompetence and allow more Begnion lives to be lost in vain." Alviss crossed his arms.

Lekain's eyebrow twitched. "Ever the spirited one." He forced a smile. "Do not forget that the traitor Bartholemu is dead thanks to our pursuing troops. (2.) We have whittled the Imperial Army down to a regiment or two, and the Holy Guard remains at only half the strength it once was. Our forces are doing well. We just need to make that last push, and then Sanaki will be gone."

Alviss sighed. "I must decline. I see no reason to waste time hunting down our wayward brothers when the enemy is still fierce and powerful. Even if Sanaki is against us, she is still a daughter of Begnion. She might surrender to the Confederacy and abdicate if she sees how well we've cared for our nation. However, if we insist on wasting precious resources on capturing and executing her, we will give Gallia and Crimea the chances they need to rally their allies and swoop in upon us. Our forces in Gallia have already taken massive casualties, and all attempts to conquer Crimea have failed. If this doesn't prove to Sanaki that her incompetence isn't nearly as great as ours, well, then I don't know what does."

Lekain huffed. "You are a Senator, you have a duty to uphold the Se..."

"My duties are to Begnion. I do not believe that pointlessly wasting Begnion lives to complete a task that could easily be done by destroying our genuine enemy will bring any gains to our nation. Thus, I must respectfully decline. I will return if I am truly needed." Alviss snapped and strolled off.

"That damn boy thinks he can make a fool of me, can he? I will prove to him that true Senators achieve their dreams, not obsess over pathetic principles." Lekain hissed.

Though burned poles of wood stood steadfast in the formerly lush forests of east Gallia, the red armored troops that once filled those lands were finally disappearing.

"Commander Ranulf, our brothers have located the last Confederate stronghold in this province. Once we conquer it, then the road to Susa will finally be cleared! Susa will be firmly in our hands once again, and if the Confederate army wants vengeance, then they will be forced to cross the mountains and meet our army head on! We shall show them that despite the catastrophic war that forced our brothers to fight each other, we Gallians shall prevail and crush our foes!"

The blue cat smiled. "Thanks, Rarukur. You've been a good messenger. Now I'll need to discuss our next moves with the other officers. At ease, soldier."

"Of course, sir." The slightly thinner grey cat laguz bowed and scampered off.

With a sigh, Ranulf looked at the sky. To think that, at any moment, a seemingly peaceful scene: white clouds drifting along in a deep blue sky, would quickly be filled with the screams of hawks and ravens, and blood would begin to fall from high above. To think that, long ago, East Gallia was a lush, thriving wood and jungle that covered land further than one could fathom, yet now it hardly resembled a series of trees. Few trees were still alive after the Confederate advance, and it looked like Gallia, which had just pried itself out of a hellish civil war, would be nothing but a land of scars.

Despite the smile he always tried to keep on his face, Ranulf was not pleased, not at all. But even though he would try to mask his pained emotions and rally his comrades, he knew that Lethe would not have the same attitude, not by a long shot.

And as Ranulf trudged slowly towards the largest of the Gallian Royal Army's encampment, he spotted her standing on a podium, with her famous fiery glance.

"Do these... These beorc..." She spat out the name like it was some kind of fatal disease. "Do they truly think that they can just flee back to their homes after what they've done to ours? Pah! Nonsense! An eye must be repaid with an eye, and a detached fang for another. It's only just and fair for judgment to be so. We laguz cannot allow them to leave our lands safe and sound. Tell me, brothers and sisters, how many of our siblings did they butcher? How much of our lush forests have they burned to the ground? How long will it take for Gallia's gaping wounds to heal? We must strike those pigs and slaughter them all, as is proper!" And with Lethe's growl the entire army cheered.

Lyre crinkled her nose. No doubt Lethe's words held true for their people, and, yet, instead of being struck by that vibrant fervor, she was worried. Muarim, Tormod, they were friends who lived deep in Begnion, no? What could possibly have happened to them? The young cat sighed. She was especially worried about that green tiger. Though he was strong, she had seen firsthand the deaths of many of her tiger brothers at the hands of the Begnion Confederate Army. How could she be so sure that one particular green tiger was strong enough to evade death for this long?

Lethe turned her eyes to Lyre, and noted her concerned expression. "Lyre!" She called, startling her younger sister. "What's with that face? Do you truly think that the Begnion Army will get the upper hand as it did before? Why, you'd be sorely mistaken if that's what you're thinking! We laguz learn from our errors, and we will not let them rape Gallia again!"

"N... No... I... I am simply worried on behalf of faraway friends..." Lyre muttered.

Upon hearing that, Lethe burst into a laugh, startling all her fellow beast laguz.

"Look at that! She upholds such generosity to the bitter end, worrying for friends for whom we can do nothing. My, my, little sister... If you continue to wrongfully direct your concerns, I fear that you'll get distracted enough to get killed." Lethe sighed.

At that Lyre hissed. "While you get so fired up that your blood boils and you finally die from your blood vessels bursting, yes? There are times to raise one's valor, and there are times to calm down and show concern for others, Lethe. You tend to raise a fervor out of almost everything, and I don't think your heart appreciates it."

Lethe glared at Lyre with a mixed look of anger and pity. "Hah!" She finally let out a laugh. "At times like these, when we laguz must rally our valor in order to survive, she chooses to be docile and worry for others when the friends at her side are getting killed. Yes, very far-sighted you are, Lyre. We should all learn from you and daydream about things beyond our grasp than worry for the sword heading straight for our throats."

But before the sisters could bicker any further, Ranulf came running in.

"Now, now, everyone. There is no need to repeat that cursed war between siblings. Rarukur has reported to me that our forward scouts have spotted the last Confederate stronghold here, and if we take it down then the enemy will finally be driven out of the province! We may force all of them out of our home yet!"

Lethe and Lyre stopped their bickering for a moment to share a unanimous laugh of joy. "Well, then. It's time for us to turn the tables on those fools. Now we are the predators, as we should be, and they are the prey that must be driven away." Lethe smirked.

And, like those rare unified feelings those sisters shared, Lyre smirked too. "Yes... For too long they've trashed our beloved home. Now they can finally feel the claws we siblings share, and I'm sure that'll convince them to never desecrate our beloved Gallia!"

The three childhood friends sat in a small circle as Prince Skimir of Gallia strolled into their tent.

"Lord Skimir." Ranulf bowed. Lethe and Lyre obviously followed suit.

Skimir laughed. "So I hear that we've finally spotted where those rats are hiding."

"And we shall eat them, sir. You need not worry about that." Lethe added with a smile.

Ranulf and Lyre glanced at each other from behind Lethe's back. Each shared the same worried look. Would Lethe literally bite off more than she could chew? Or, more accurately, would she try to bite through the hard metal of a Begnion commander's armor and get her head lopped off by a mighty laguz axe as a consequence?

Skimir guffawed. "Excellent, General Lethe. I see that your vigor hasn't waned in the least. What about you, Ranulf, and you, Commander? Does her colleague and her little sister feel the same?"

Lyre blinked. Since when did Skimir get fond of such high-sounding speech?

"Erm... Yes, sir... But we should make our plans for striking the enemy instead of discussing our valor. After all, words are just words. It's deeds on the battlefield that really say something." Ranulf replied.

"Ahaha... Well said. Alright, then. How will we strike?" Skimir's laugh echoed throughout the camp.

Lyre blinked again. The Prince had to be drunk. There was no other possible explanation.

Ranulf and Lethe had caught on by now, but if they were to say anything Skimir might actually crack their skulls in a fit of rage. So, rather than risk their skins, they decided to play along.

"Based on what our hawk friends have spotted, the base is defended by mostly archers and armored knights. Their calvary has either fled the area or is attempting to ambush us from some unknown point... But the latter tactic would be difficult to pull off if none of the trees (or what's left of them) are able to provide them with cover for an ambush... So I believe that we should call off our hawk support for now and simply order our cat brothers to lure enemy soldiers out of the fort. Because our hides give us some camouflage even in destroyed forest terrain, we'll be able to have tigers assault the enemy as they chase after the cats, and with the enemy thus stunned our soldiers will storm the fortress." Ranulf spoke proudly.

"Wait... Are you kidding?" Lyre stared at Ranulf with her eyes bulged.

"What?" Ranulf glanced at Lyre with a grin.

"What makes you so sure that the Begnion Confederate Army is so pathetically stupid that it would fall for such a simple ploy?" Lyre crossed her arms.

Lethe smiled at her sister's skepticism. She was becoming more prudent, and that was a rare trait for laguz. After seeing how her beorc comrades fought, Lethe knew that it was a trait that should be valued within the Gallian army, so she didn't say anything and only waited for Ranulf's response.

"Um... Er..."

Or lack of one.

Skimir glanced at Ranulf in surprise. "General, are you going to explain your strategy to the Commander?"

Lethe looked at him with surprise as well. "Ranulf? Is something wrong?"

"Er..." Ranulf smiled embarrassingly.

"Or have you not thought this through?" Lethe's eyes narrowed menacingly.

"Er..."

"You're so easy to read." Lethe sighed. "Very well. Lord Skimir, we may need a few more hours to come up with a suitable plan. It's obvious that the enemy position is not so easy to breech, as they will be quite willing to defend that last stronghold 'till the last breath. For them, retreat is hardly an option. However, use our hawk air support to continue patrolling the mountains, and thus have them cut off any reinforcements that might be trying to aid the enemy fort. Sooner or later we will be able to strike the fort and those hawks can return to base with ease."

Skimir nodded. "Then I'll let you handle the situation, General Lethe." And with that he walked out of the tent.

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Soren asked for the twentieth time as Lucia strolled towards the war room.

"Soren, I Will Be Fine. You don't have to worry about me, ok?" Lucia sighed.

"You just got out of the infirmary... Of course I'd be worried." Soren rolled his eyes.

Lucia's eyes narrowed. "Why did you just do that?

"Do what?"

"Roll your eyes... I'm not annoying you, am I?"

"Well... Perhaps you do annoy me at times. This is one of them."

Lucia hissed. "You..."

"I what?"

The two of them started to glare at each other, but a voice suddenly surprised both of them.

"'Tis a dream, my sweet Suzana....

'Tis a dream, dear Roxane...

To be spending such time with you...

Oh how happy I am!

Yet, there's only one woman in my heart...

With hair blue as sapphire...

And with eyes that sparkle...

In the endless night.

Oh, yes, I love only her!

I love the great Lucia!

And no matter what entails...

She will soon be mine!"

Lucia froze in her tracks as her jaw hit the ground.

Soren's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.

Yet Bastian kept on singing.

"Erm, Soren?" Lucia began.

"Hmn?"

"Could you, um, put him out of his misery?"

"Sure..." Soren nodded as he took out his Thoron tome. "I hope I don't wreck any innocent pieces of furniture..." He mumbled as he sneaked into the room Bastian occupied.

1. I had the impression that Lekain was in his early fifties, only that his hair hadn't turned white, yet. Alviss is in his mid thirties, which would be the appropriate age for a "young" senator. Being rather dedicated to his position would mean that Alviss wouldn't spend much time to sit down and keep himself full, which would make him thinner. No, I do not intend to offend any of my readers, and I'm terribly sorry if I just did, but I do intend to offend Lekain as much as possible... That slimeball...

2. Yes. I regret creating the concept of Bartholemu in the first place, for after reading about him I realized how incredibly boring his character is. Thus, to uphold the trope of "Anyone Can Die" in war, I killed him. R.I.P. Others can help fulfill the role that he could have played for Apostle Sanaki. I will let you learn who those personas shall be.